Uniform tension load binder

ABSTRACT

A series of load binders arranged to be operated by a single cable and including means, i.e., pulleys, for applying equal tension to all of the load binders which are arranged in series along a support upon which articles to be held down are arranged.

lied StatesIPatent 1 91 Grise [4 1March 13, 1973 UNIFORM TENSION LOAD BINDER [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Frederick G. J. Grise, West Brook- 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS field Mass- 3,042,376 7/1962 Miller ..254/1s7 z u I N th 0 3,391,907 7/1968 Voltelsang.... .....l05/368 T [73] Asslgnee} mg fi s or X 3,520,555 7/1970 Blair ..2s0/179 A [22] Filed: April 15, 1971 v Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson [211 App]. No: 134,385 Attorney-Charles R. Fay

v 57 ABSTRACT 32 5 33 A series of load binders arranged to be Operated by a [58] Field or s ii c iiiil ulli z ii l/s i, 150, lS, 187, 164; single cable includmg means Pulleys,

plying equal tension to all of the load binders which are arranged in series along a support upon which articles to be held down are arranged.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTFUuAmma 3,720,398

SHEET 10F 2 INVENTOE FEEDFaTGEISE by 6%0 may PATENTEUHARJ 3x975 SHEET 2 UP 2 FEDJQG was l UNIFORM TENSION LOAD BINDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Load binders are old and well known particularly those which are used to hold loads onto trucks or other supporting surfaces. These load binders have been individually adjusted, i.e., tightened, so that they do not always have the same tension applied to them, and in many cases the volume or bulk of the load varies along the truck so that the load binders must be arranged in different lengths.

Load binders of the prior art gradually shake loose especially where the loads are driven over long distances and accidents therefore are apt to occur and have occurred in the past where the chains of the load binders become loose and allow the cargo to escape or at least shift considerably, making for a hazardous situation.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a uniform tension load binder device including a plurality of load binders all operated simultaneously from a single point so that equal tension is applied to all, and in which it is extremely easy for the operator to 1 tighten the load if any looseness should occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A series of new and improved load binders are arranged along the length of a support. Each load binder comprises a series of pulleys'over which a single cable is threaded, the cable extending for instance from one end of the support to the other. At one end of the support the cable is secured with relation to an accumulator, e.g., a spring shock device, having a calibrated scale showing the tension, i.e., the load on the cable, together with a sound signal safety device which can be set to go off when the tension is reduced to a predetermined degree, and at the opposite end of the support there is a means for taking up the cable and thereby tightening all of the load binders equally and simultaneously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view illustrating the adjusting parts of one of the load binders;

FIG. 2 is a view on a smaller scale illustrating a plurality of load binders in different conditions of use on a support;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how two load binders are simultaneously tightened;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale with parts broken away illustrating the accumulator;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the signal device; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a slightly different arrangement of pulleys for the load binders.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Reference is first made to FIG. 2 in which there is shown a truck having a flatbed 10. Any support of any nature can be used. Three load binders 12, l4,'and 16 are illustrated, those at 14 and 16 holding down an irregularly shaped object W whereas load binder 12 is inoperative as there is no need for it in the particular instance shown.

Each load binder comprises a chain as clearly shown connected to a ring or the like as at 18 at one side of the truck body and at the opposite side thereof it is connected to the takeup device as by means of a link 20, see FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a hinge or the like 22 which is mounted on the truck body 10 by any desired means such as a block or the like 24. The hinge 22 is incorporated into an open-topped, generally U-shaped member 26 joumalling a "pair of side-by-side pulleys which are indicated at 28 and 30, the pulley 30 being broken away to illustrate a tie at 32 with respect to a cord, cable or the like 34.

Facing the U-shaped member 26 is another but reversed U-shaped member 36 in which there is a single pulley 38. The cord, cable or the like 34 passes through a friction one-way latch generally indicated at 40. This has a block 42 mounted in an inclined slot 42 in a bracket 46 mounted on U-shaped member 36, and having a backup member at 48 for the cord, cable or the like 34. This cord or cable is provided with an end stop at 50 to limit the relative motion of U-shaped member 38 away from U-shaped member 26 and this is a safety device preventing too great an elongation of the device shown in FIG. 1. The member 38 may be drawn toward member 26 but it cannot move in the opposite direction unless the block 42 is knocked aside releasing cable or cord 34.

An elongated cable 52 is anchored as at 54 at one end to be later described and proceeds forwardly as shown in FIG. 3 around pulley 28, up and over pulley 38, down at 54 and under pulley 30 going then dorwardly as at 56 through several arrangements of the pulleys as shown in FIG. 3, to be attached at its forward end to a power device generally indicated at 58 for tensioning this cable as may be desired.

The means 58 may of course be any kind of device for tensioning the cable as by elecgric motor or hydraulic cylinder, etc., but is here shown as a relatively simple crank 60 for purposes of illustration only.

Referring now to FIG. 4 there is shown a double inverted complementary U-shaped device comprising the parts 66 and 68. Each of these parts is provided with a link 70, 72 and a rubber bumper or the like 74 is interposed between these members so that opposite pull on links and 72 compress the rubber bumper as wellas a spring 76 should the same be present. This device is a kind of accumulator.

The relative position of a member 78 movable with member 68 coincides with the scale at 80 to calibrate the device illustrating the degree of tension involved.

Assuming that the member 66 be secured with respect to the support, or on the other hand the link 70 may be so secured, and the cable 52 being secured to link 72, then it will be seen that as the crank at 60 is turned in the proper direction, all of the chains 12, 14, and 16 will be tensioned and equal tensioning will be applied to each one of these load binders. At the same time they cannot become accidentally displaced because of the safety cable or cord 34 and lock at 40 and 42. The calibration scale 80 can be viewed at any time to see whether there is sufficient tension on the cable, and if not, then crank 20 can be actuated once more in order to bring the tension to the desired degree.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a signal device comprising an aerosol can 84 and a siren 86 to be operated thereby when the valve stem 88 is struck by a bracket 90 mounted with respect to member 68 for instance. Assuming the tension on cable 52 is relaxed to a degree sufficient to cause the accumulator to move bracket 90 from the solid line position to the dotted line position, the siren is actuated and then it is known that the tension on the cable 52 has been reduced to below a safe amount. The cable can be easily tightened again by the device at 58 thereby equally tightening all of the load binders as above explained, so that desired equal tension is applied to all parts of the load.

FIG. 6 shows a slightly modified pulley arrangement where the block 240 is mounted on the body 10a and the hinge at 22a mounts a double U-shaped device 26a, 26a, each containing a pulley and arranged to be located in the area between the two U-shaped devices 26a, 26a is the reversed U-shaped device 36a as before, having the single pulley 38 therein. Otherwise the construction is the same as before and the cable 52a goes under the one pulley in member 26a, over the pulley 38 and member 36a, down under the other pulley and the other member 26a, and out to the take-up 58 as before.

The accumulator may be hydraulic or pneumatic as will be clear to those skilled in the art but in any event its rubber bumper 74 still will act as an ultimate shock absorber even if the spring should be compressed to a maximum, as when driving over rough roads. The spring can yield, if not maximum compressed to take up the slack on shock impacts, thus keeping the chains always tight. Also, if desired, the accumulator can be made long enough, or in multiples, to take up a long slack should a chain break.

The cable 52 can be tied down or clamped to the support 10 just in front of the winch 58, if desired, to take the strain off the winch.

I claim:

1. A load binder construction comprising a support, load holding means, a plurality of load binders mounted on the support, each load binder comprising at least two relatively moving parts, a pulley in each part, one of said parts being mounted on the support and the other part being connected to the means holding the load, said means holding the load being flexible and extending to a different point on the support, a cable, means anchoring it at one end thereof and passing over corresponding pulleys on each load binder and then proceeding to a point where it can be tensioned, and tensioning means for the cable, all of said load binders securing the load with equal tension.

2. The load binder construction of claim 1 including spaced hinges on the support, said hinges each having an axis parallel to the support, one of the said parts of each load binder being mounted to swing on a hinge.

3. The load binder construction of claim 1 wherein the means anchoring the cable at said one end thereof is resilient, and including means for taking it up at the other end thereof.

4. The load binder construction of claim 3 wherein said resilient cable anchoring means comprises a pair of movable members and interposed resilient means tending to move the same, the cable being connected to one movable member and the other movable member being in fixed relationship to the support so that as the cable is tensioned the resilient member is compressed.

5. The load binder construction of claim 4 Including a calibrating scale on one of said movable members and a cooperating indicating means on the other of said movable members.

6. The load binder construction of claim 3 including an audible signal, and means for actuating the audible signal, said last named means comprising a member on one of the movable members of the cable anchoring device.

7. The load binder construction of claim 1 including a safety device connecting the two parts of each load binder, said safety device including means allowing the approach of the parts but preventing relative motion in the opposite direction.

8. The load binder construction of claim 2 wherein one of said load binder parts is mounted on a hinge having an axis parallel to the length of the support,

preventing motion in a fore and aft direction but allowing a pivotal motion about the axis of the hinge.

9. The load binder construction of claim 1 including a pair of pulleys on each load binder part which is mounted on the support, said pulleys being side-byside.

* i i i 1 

1. A load binder construction comprising a support, load holding means, a plurality of load binders mounted on the support, each load binder comprising at least two relatively moving parts, a pulley in each part, one of said parts being mounted on the support and the other part being connected to the means holding the load, said means holding the load being flexible and extending to a different point on the support, a cable, means anchoring it at one end thereof and passing over corresponding pulleys on each load binder and then proceeding to a point where it can be tensioned, and tensioning means for the cable, all of said load binders securing the load with equal tension.
 1. A load binder construction comprising a support, load holding means, a plurality of load binders mounted on the support, each load binder comprising at least two relatively moving parts, a pulley in each part, one of said parts being mounted on the support and the other part being connected to the means holding the load, said means holding the load being flexible and extending to a different point on the support, a cable, means anchoring it at one end thereof and passing over corresponding pulleys on each load binder and then proceeding to a point where it can be tensioned, and tensioning means for the cable, all of said load binders securing the load with equal tension.
 2. The load binder construction of claim 1 including spaced hinges on the support, said hinges each having an axis parallel to the support, one of the said parts of each load binder being mounted to swing on a hinge.
 3. The load binder construction of claim 1 wherein the means anchoring the cable at said one end thereof is resilient, and including means for taking it up at the other end thereof.
 4. The load binder construction of claim 3 wherein said resilient cable anchoring means comprises a pair of movable members and interposed resilient means tending to move the same, the cable being connected to one movable member and the other movable member being in fixed relationship to the support so that as the cable is tensioned the resilient member is compressed.
 5. The load binder construction of claim 4 including a calibrating scale on one of said movable members and a cooperating indicating means on the other of said movable members.
 6. The load binder construction of claim 3 including an audible signal, and means for actuating the audible signal, said last named means comprising a member on one of the movable members of the cable anchoring device.
 7. The load binder construction of claim 1 including a safety device connecting the two parts of each load binder, said safety device including means allowing the approach of the parts but preventing relative motion in the opposite direction.
 8. The load binder construction of claim 2 wherein one of said load binder parts is mounted on a hinge having an axis parallel to the length of the support, preventing motion in a fore and aft direction but allowing a pivotal motion about the axis of the hinge. 